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ShareNo One Fits Wheelchairs Like We Do
For those with disabilities in less-developed countries, their health will often deteriorate due to lack of therapy, adequate housing and care, and a proper fitting wheelchair. It’s why we at Joni and Friends make every effort to provide desperately needed mobility and the Gospel of Jesus to people with disabilities around the world. And we can only do it through the help of friends like you. Visit our Wheels for the World page to learn how you can help distribute wheelchairs and Bibles to people in need. And to inspire you, here’s a short video on what our Wheels for the World ministry is doing worldwide.
1 Wheelchair Shows God's Faithfulness to 42!
At the age of 3, Satit contracted polio. Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, he was the eldest son in a Christian family that loved God’s word and believed in the power of prayer. Even though he could no longer walk, Satit prayed for God to use his life to bring others to Christ in Thailand. At 16, Satit felt God’s call to ministry and applied to many seminaries, only to be turned away. Pointing to his weak legs, he was told over and over again, “God can’t use you.” Without a wheelchair, it seemed they might be right. But Satit’s faith and prayer never wavered. Even though he did not have a wheelchair, “I attended as many Bible studies as I could,” said Satit. “God has called me to be an ambassador for Christ. I prayed for strength, for God’s provision of a wheelchair … and for souls.” Today, Satit and his wife work tirelessly to rescue children from the streets, where they are used in drug trafficking...
When You Change a Child's Life with God's Love, You Change the World!
In a developing nation, how does a little child with a disability come to know Jesus? How does she press past isolation and poverty? It happens when you send a wheelchair and a Bible … life-changing gifts that open the door for sharing the message of Jesus Christ. Let us show you step-by-step how it happens at a Wheels for the World distribution. Meet 10-year-old Patricia, who lives with her mother in Ghana, West Africa…
God's Supply, Through You
Ranier was born in the Dominican Republic with a rare bone disability. At five years old, he is bright, fun, feisty and filled with curiosity. He’s eager to learn and bursting with possibility. Ranier’s mom, Diana, has carried him to school for the past three years. She’s been desperately waiting and praying for a wheelchair, “but here in the Dominican Republic, they are only for the rich,” she explains. Recently, Ranier’s teachers told Diana they would no longer be able to carry Ranier in the classroom. He is growing heavier as he grows older. “And he cannot crawl on his knees on the dirt or rough pavement without hurting himself,” Diana explains. Ranier’s Heavenly Father - rich in mercy and abundant in love – gave Ranier...
Preparing Hearts to Hear about Christ
Physical therapist Veronica Hache is filled with the joy of the Lord and a laugh that can be heard throughout a crowded Wheels for the World distribution. But beneath her contagious smile lies a professional competence that is only exceeded by her deep love for Jesus. Through Wheels for the World, Veronica has found a place where God can use all He has given her to change lives forever – beginning with her own. “Wheels for the World is a wonderful, tangible way to demonstrate God’s love to disabled people who are the poorest of the poor,” Veronica says. “For them, a wheelchair is an impossible dream. As we deliver that gift, we don’t just drop it off – we minister to the individual from the very first moment we meet them. We care about their lives, we hear their story, and meet their deepest physical need. As they see our love, their hearts are ready to hear the Gospel. Time is short. People need Christ! The wheelchair is God’s instrument to reach their heart.” What keeps Veronica coming back to serve as a Wheels for the World volunteer? “God’s...
With God, All Things are Possible!
Cusmaylin is four years old. Unable to walk and blind since birth, she lays on the floor while her mother Sylvia works. There is a school nearby, but without mobility there is no hope Cusmaylin can attend. “I read in the Bible that God can do anything,” Sylvia said, “But here in my country, a wheelchair is only for the rich. Even God can’t change that.” Sylvia prayed for help, but her circumstances seemed impossible and her hope grew dimmer and dimmer with each passing day. “What is impossible with man is possible with God,” says Luke 18:27. And when you pray – God moves! Recently this truth came alive through Wheels for the World when the miracle of a wheelchair was rolled out for Cusmaylin. It was a brand-new, spiffy red and white Regency Pediatric Wheelchair with all the bells and whistles, including an attachable desk just...
Lies of Witchdoctor Broken by God's Amazing Grace
In developing nations like Ghana, West Africa, disabled children and adults are stigmatized and their families held captive by ancient cultic belief systems. When Clinton was 6 months old, his mother Bernice realized he was not progressing normally. In desperation, she turned to herbalist “witchdoctors,” who took vast amounts of money and promised a cure. Six years later, there was still no change. Then came God’s powerful love through you and Wheels for the World! Thanks to your faithfulness, Clinton received a beautiful wheelchair that will make life so much easier for him and his family. But it was the Gospel message that brought the greatest freedom of all. That day in Ghana, Bernice learned that Clinton is God’s beautiful creation...
Thank You for Changing Lives through Wheels for the World!
Together through Wheels for the World, we have changed the lives of thousands of children and adults living with disability. Because of your generosity this year, the Gospel has been shared with more than 6,300 people along with the precious gift of mobility! Wheels for the World is not simply about “dropping off a wheelchair.” It’s about changing the hearts, minds, and lives of people affected by disability. Since 1994, lives have been transformed as Joni and Friends has collected, restored, and distributed more than 90,000 wheelchairs to people affected by disability. And in 2013, with 23 outreaches in 16 countries, even more lives will be changed! You can get involved in 2013… pray for teams serving as short term missionaries, donate to support a team, or go (2013 signups...
An Ambassador for Christ –Because of Disability, Not In Spite of It
Justin Howard is a wheelchair user and is non-verbal. How does he communicate? He expresses his thoughts, his needs, and his emotions by using a communication board. And recently, God used Justin to show families in the Dominican Republic how they can communicate with their non-verbal children! After attending Family Retreat for three years, Justin wanted to give back by serving others. God paved the way…. Recently Justin and his parents brought their disability experience and...
Your Love-in-Action Brings a Child Home!
Her face says it all! Off the ground and seated in a wheelchair, Apra will be able to live comfortably in her family’s home. Two hours outside Chiang Mai, in Thailand’s rural countryside, Apra’s parents scratch out a meager living as migrant farmers. They love Apra so much, but her cerebral palsy makes it impossible for them to care for her in their dirt-floor hut. So five years ago, Apra’s parents made the difficult decision to have her live in a nearby center for disabled children. Apra’s parents visit her every chance they get. And when they’re together, they pray that somehow God would make it possible for them to live together again. They are a Christian family in desperate need. Recently little Apra was brought to our Wheels for the World distribution by the workers at the Center. There, God answered 5 years of fervent prayer with the gift of a wheelchair that is collapsible and built for...
